Method and apparatus for producing panty hose

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method of producing panty hose in which in a first step two hip length stockings are knitted for each panty hose, which are then drawn over shaped forms as usually used for boarding or plasticizing stockings, after the plasticizing and dyeing operation while the stockings are still on the shaped forms, being arranged side-by-side upright or in a horizontal position those portions of the stockings providing the hip portions of the finished panty hose are drawn together and sewed together in such a manner, that first and second portions of a seam are produced the first one lying on the front side and the second one lying on the rear side of the finished panty hose; therefore the pitting between said seam portions can be cut through, preferably while the stockings are still arranged on said shaped forms.

[ 1 Jan. 23, 1973 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PANTY HOSE FritzVorberg, Winkl, Germany [75] Inventor: Bischofswiesen- [73] Assignee:Globotex AG, Zug, Switzerland [22] Filed: Feb. 10, 1969 ("211 Appl. No.1797,345

[52] U.S.Cl ..2/224R,l12/121.14

Primary Examinerl-l. Hampton Hunter Att0rney-Mason, Kolehmainen,Rathburn & Wyss [57] ABSTRACT The invention relates toa method ofproducing panty hose in which in a first step two hip length stockingsare knitted for each panty hose, which are then drawn over shaped formsas usually used for boarding or plasticizing stockings, after theplasticizing and dyeing operation while the stockings are still on theshaped forms, being arranged side-by-sidc upright or in a horizontalposition those portions of the stockings providing the hip portions ofthe finished panty hose are drawn together and sewed together in such amanner, that first and second portions of a seam are produced the firstone lying on the front side and the second one lying on the rear side ofthe finished panty hose; therefore the pitting between said seamportions can be cut through, preferably while the stockings are stillarranged on said shaped forms.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED 97 3. 71 1. 866

sum 1 0F 8 A TTOR/VAFY PATENTEDmza 191s 3.711.866

sum 2 OF 8 Fig. 3

PATENTEU JAN 2 3 I973 SHEET UF 8 PATENTEDJAN 23 Ian SHEET 5 OF 8PATENTED JAR 23 I975 SHEET 7 OF 8 PATENIEDJMI 23 I915 SHEET 8 BF 8METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PANTY HOSE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to panty hose consisting of twoapproximately hip length stockings which, from the top welt or waistlineto approximately the region of the crotch, are provided with an incisionand in which the edges of said incisions are joined together by a seam.The invention relates, furthermore, to a method of producing panty hosein which two hip length knitted stockings are drawn over or mounted uponflat template-like shaped forms such as are applied for forming,

' boarding and plasticizing stockings and in which, in a subsequentprocessing step, the two stockings are joined together by seams alongtwo incisions running from the top welt of waistline to approximately inthe region of the crotch. Finally, the invention relates to an apparatusby which this method can be carried out.

Heretofore panty hose were made in such a manner in that two waist orhip long individual stockings, after having been dyed, boarded andplasticized were each provided with an incision by hand, running fromthe top welt to the region of the crotch, whereupon the edges of theincisions of both stockings were likewise manually joined together, withthe aid of a sewing machine, by means of a continuous seam. Saidcontinuous seam consequently had the shape of a U. As is known, thedyeing and plasticizing or boarding of the stockings is performed onflat, template like forms, having the shape of a leg, which, in thefollowing, are referred to as shaped forms. In conventional production,the individual stockings are drawn off these forms prior to incising andseaming. The known method has the substantial disadvantage that as aresult of the many manual steps involved in the production, suchproduction of panty hose is relatively high in labor consumption andtherefore expensive.

One object of the invention is to make the production of panty hose moreeconomical than up to now. A further object of the invention is thedesign of panty hose which is especially suited for automatic productionas far as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention two hip-lengthstockings are drawn over template-like shaped forms, which are to bearranged side-by-side in a congruent position, whereupon the zones ofboth stockings facing each other that are to be joined together aremoved towards each other and brought into contact at least approximatelyand finally sewed together, while said stockings are still on the shapedforms.

In this manner the stockings need no longer be adjusted for sewingtogether, as was formerly the case when sewing the stockings together ona conventional sewing machine, as they already are in a predeterminedposition on the shaped forms. Consequently the seams can readily be madeautomatically and always in the same place which is a fundamentalprerequisite for an automation of the sewing process, this havingformerly been the step that required the most manual labor in panty hoseproduction.

A panty hose especially suited for automatic sewing was designedaccording to the invention with two approximately hip-length stockings,each provided with an incision extending from the top edge toapproximately the zone of the crotch, and in which the two incisionedges of both stockings located on the front of the panty hose arejoined by a first seam and the two incision edges on the rear are joinedtogether by a second seam, said seams are arranged approximately inparallel to each other.

Two such parallel seams can readily be produced by a conventional sewingmachine by moving the latter along a straight feed line. The resultingopening in the zone of the crotch, which is a result of the fact thatthe two seams do not overlap, can be kept down to a very small size, sothat it practically does not disturb and is not noticed at all duringwear. But the sewing machine could also be designed that the two seamsconverge and overlap, so that in the zone of the crotch a completelyclosed panty hose is formed.

A further step toward complete automation can easily be made to follow.According to the invention, it is advisable to cut through the knittingof the stockings after sewing between the two seams, while the stockingsare still on the shaped forms. Namely, as long as the stockings arestill on the shaped forms it is not only a very easy matter to make theseams at a predetermined place, but the cutting of the knitting can thenreliably be done always at the same predetermined position, withouthaving to bring} the stockings or the panty hose once more intoalignnient. A very plain apparatus for effecting the method "accordingto this invention has at least four straddling or expanding means,arranged in pairs, that move towards each other and press together thezones of the two stockings that are to be sewed together, two suchstraddling or expanding means being disposed for each single stockingand arranged spaced apart from each other and, in each case, between therespective shaped form and the stocking. Such straddling bars canreadily be inserted between stocking and shaped form, so that the zonesof both stockings that are to be sewed together are reliably broughtinto contact with each other. If the zones of two hip length stockingsfacing each other are drawn together, that is, the prospective hipportions of a panty hose, then a conventional sewing machine, forexample, of the type feed-off-the arm machine can be applied. Thus, in afavorable embodiment of the apparatus according to this invention,sewing is done by a sewing machine having two arms that can beintroduced between the shaped forms and the stockings in order to sewtogether stockings that have been drawn together. If appropriatelyconstructed, such a sewing machine can produce, in one operating cycle,the two parallel seams, between which the knitting can then be slittedor melted through. Melting through ought to be preferred becausetechnically it calls for the least expensive arrangement, namely, aheated filament or wire, or similar means.

The incision in the individual stocking could, as such, also be madebefore sewing the stockings together, as has been customary in themethod of panty hose production heretofore in practice; it is, however,recommendable, to sew first and then to cut, because means for securingthe edges of the incisions until the sewing step is completed can thenbe eliminated. According to a further feature of this invention, thesewing and cutting can be done in one operation, thus making theproduction method especially time saving and economical. To this end theapparatus according to this invention is provided with a cutting meansfor slitting the knitting of the stockings between the two seams which,in its simplest embodiment, comprises an electrically heated wire orfilament, movable in the lengthwise direction of the shaped forms and,for reasons of expediency, disposed on the sewing machine in such amanner that it lies behind the sewing means, as seen in feed directionof same. In this manner the seams are made first and shortly behind thepoint at which the seam has just been made the heated filament cuts theknitting of the stockings between the two seams.

Further details and features of the invention will be seen in theattached drawings and the following specification that serve to explainthe drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of anembodiment of a panty hose according to this invention, in the form itassumes during wear;

FIG. 2 is a side view of said panty hose laid together in the form inwhich it is usually delivered;

FIG. 3 is a section of an apparatus for the continuous production ofstockings, shown in perspective view;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a section of the apparatus shown in FIG.3, together with a sewing station for sewing together two hip lengthseparate stockings to form one panty hose, whereby a sewing machine andfour expander bars to being into contact the zones of two stockings thatare to be sewed together are shown in idle position;

FIG. 5 represents FIG. 4 with the expander bars in elevated position;

FIG. 6 corresponds to FIG. 5 but with the expander bars broughttogether;

FIG. 7 a representation corresponding to FIG. 6 in which the sewingmachine is in its upper endmost position;

FIG. 8 a section according to the line 8--8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 a section of a cross sectional view, corresponding to the line9-9 in FIG. 8, showing the position of the sewing machine in which thecutting of the knitting between the parallel seams is just commencing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The panty hose shown in FIG. Ihas been produced of two separately manufactured hip-length stockings 10that are joined together along two seams l2, 14. These seams extend fromthe upper rim of the panty hose to crotch 16. Within the region of thecrotch each stocking has a reinforced and ladderproof strip 18 thatseparates the leg portions 20 of the stockings from the hip portions 22.For reasons of expediency the hip portions are also made ofladderproofknitting, as known in the art under the designation of micro-mesh andpinpoint. Likewise for reasons of expediency there are elastic threadsknitted into the upper hip portions, so that an elastic double welt 24can be formed.

As is clearly recognizable in FIG. 2, the seams l2 and 14 terminate ator in the strip 18, whereas the knitting between the two seams isadvantageously cut open or burnt away somewhat above the lower end ofthe seams; there is thus created in each of the two stockings 10 theincisions 26, the edges of which are joined together by the seams 12 and14, so that the panty hose properly results from said operations.

The section of an apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3 for the continuousproduction of panty hose shows a chain conveyor 30 that is drawn forwardon a bed, not shown here, e.g., according to FIG. 3 to the right side.Chain 30 is composed of multiple flat rods 32 connected pairwise byjoint bolts 34. To the flat rods 32 there are welded jib arms 36 towhich the shaped forms 38 are secured, which may also be done bywelding. Said shaped forms are known in the art because they are appliedfor plasticizing and boarding normal or hip-length stockings as used inthe manufacture of panty hose. Said shaped forms are flat, leg-shapedmetal templates which may, e.g., be of aluminum. According to thepresent invention, however, straddling brackets 40 are secured to theseconventional shaped forms in such a manner that two straddling bracketsare secured to each of the shaped forms on the sides of said shapedforms that face each other. It is expedient to likewise weld saidstraddling brackets to the shaped forms and they are given rigidity bythe crosspieces 42 and 44. In place of these straddling brackets itwould also be possible to provide two parallel grooves running frombottom in upward direction and spaced apart on the two sides of shapedforms that face each other, in order to insert, from the bottom to thetop, between stocking and shaped form, the expander bars that will beexplained below. Said expander bars would merely have to be dimensionedso that they could be shoved into the grooves.

In the upper half of FIG. 4 there is shown a section of the conveyorchain 30 with only two shaped forms 38, the upper parts of which havebeen broken away. In like manner the same FIGURE also does not show thebed on which conveyor chain 30 runs. Directly under the shaped formsthere is shown the sewing station according to this invention which, inits entirety bears the reference numeral 50. It comprises a sewingmachine, bearing as a whole the reference number 52, supported by alifting cylinder 54, and four expander bars 56 arranged pairwise whichare mounted on a common guide bar 58, that will be described below, fortransverse movement and that can be lifted by two lifting cylinders 60.It is pointed out that the lifting cylinder 54 and 60 may be either ofthe pneumatic or hydraulic type.

In detail, according to FIG. 4, the sewing machine 52 has a left arm 62in which the needles 64 and, in a predetermined distance above same, anelectrically heated wire 66 are installed. According to FIG. 4, a rightarm 68 of sewing machine 52 accommodates the other components of saidmachine such as the feed mechanism. An electric driving motor 71 isdirectly flanged to the sewing machine and is supplied with current bylead 73.

A detailed description of the sewing machine can be dispensed with as aperson skilled in the art readily knows which types of sewing machinescan be applied in the realization of this invention. For practicalreasons the embodiment shown here is a two-needle, four-thread, feedoff-the-arm double chain stitch sewing machine, as e.g., sold by theUnion Special Machine Co., Chicago, U.S.A. An especially suitablemachine, e.g., is the type 35700 made by Union Special, that is capableof producing two seams of the type 401 that run parallel to each other.It goes without saying, that it is naturally possible for a personskilled in the art to also apply other machines and to modify same inregard to seam length and type of scam as well as in regard to themounting of the drive and to provide the electric heated wire or othercutting means separated from the actual sewing machine. The conditionsto be laid down for the sewing machine are solely that the two arms mustnot be so thick that they no longer could be inserted between thestocking and the shaped form and that the machine is capable ofproducing seams of the required length and properly spaced in regard toeach other, furthermore, that said seams warrant an adequate strengthand elasticity of the panty hose within the zones adjoining said seams.

FIG. 4 shows further details of the sewing station according to thisinvention: two expander bars each are attached to each base plate 70that is transversely slidable on guide bar 58. On each base plate,opposite the expander bars, the piston rod 72 of an expander baractuating cylinder assembly 74 engages each base plate, said cylinderagain being either a pneumatic or a hydraulic cylinder, secured to theguide bar by a mounting bracket 76. Said cylinder, like the cylinders 54and 60, also has pressure tubes 78 for the inflow and outflow ofpressure fluid and whereas the cylinders 54 and 60 may be single-actingcylinders, as they are only required to lift the sewing station, forsaid station can be automatically lowered by gravity,the expander baractuating cylinders 74 must be double-acting cylinders that not onlylead the expander bars towards each other, but also return them again tothe positions shown in FIG. 4 and 5.

It also deserves mention that the expander bars 56 are bevelled at thetop, so that they can still also easily be introduced between thestocking and the shaped form in cases where no expanding brackets 40 aresecured to the shaped form.

For dyeing and plasticizing or boarding the greige stockings coming fromthe circular knitting machine are drawn over the shaped form. In FIG. 8two stockings are represented and referenced by 80. Already in drawingthe stockings over the shaped forms, but at least always for twostockings that belong together, care must be taken that the top welts,which later form the elastic double welt 24 of the panty hose, areextended to the same level, for example, to the level of the crosspieces44. After the stockings have travelled the path of the chain conveyor 30and have been dyed, plasticized and dried before reaching sewing station50, they are conveyed in the steps of the conveyor chain 30 advance tosewing station 50 which is initially in the position shown in FIG. 4.

Then the expander lifting cylinders 60 advance upwards, whose pistonrods 61 are secured to the guide bar 58. The expanders now assume theposition shown in FIG. 5 in which they are already stationed between theshaped forms 38 and the stockings 80 on the shaped forms that have beendrawn over the straddling brackets 40. On an embodiment with grooves inthe shaped forms the expander bars 56 will have to be of somewhatflatter form in order that they will be able to move faultlessly alongthe grooves between stocking and shaped form, so that straddlingbrackets 40 can be dispensed with.

In the next step the two expander pairs are moved towards each other bymeans of expander bar actuating cylinders 74, so that the expander barsassume the positions shown in FIG. 6. In this position they stretch thestockings still more so that the zones of the stockings that are to besewed together are side by side, as shown in FIG. 8.

The next step is made clear in FIG. 7 for now the sewing machine 52 isbrought into its uppermost end position by means of the sewing machinelifting cylinder 54, whereupon the driving motor and with this thesewing machine are put into operation. It now begins at or in the strips18 to form the two seams 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 9, wherebysimultaneously piston rod 55 that supports the sewing machine in sewingmachine lifting cylinder is evenly lowered, which is effected by gravityand the control of the discharge of the pressure fluid filling saidcylinder. After the seams l2 and 14 have been formed for a shortdistance the heating current for the electrically heated wire 66 isswitched on so that the knitting of the stockings between the two seamsis cut through as if by a welding torch, giving rise to incisions 26 inthe two stockings 80, as also shown in FIG. 9. The heated wire 66 mustnaturally project so far that it contacts the knitting of both stockings(see FIG. 8).

The sewing machine is then lowered to such an extent that its arms 62,68 are retracted from the stockings and the electrically heated wireseparates the knitting down to the elastic double welt 24, thus formingthe finished panty hose. After lowering the sewing machine 52, theexpanders 56 are again retracted by means of the actuating cylinders 74and then brought into their starting position illustrated in FIG. 4. Thefinished panty hose can now be removed from the two shaped forms 38whereupon the chain conveyor advances another step, so that two new notyet sewed together stockings 10 or 80 come to stand over the sewingstation 50.

It goes without saying that the sewing machine 52 and the cutting device66 could also be constructed in such a manner that the sewing machinesews while being raised and the cutting device cuts open the knittingeither during raising or lowering. It would then merely be necessary toapply a feed-on-the-arm sewing machine. Such machines are also on themarket, e.g., obtainable from Union Special Machine Co. In addition itwould be possible to apply a mechanical cutting device in place of theelectrically heated wire and, finally, an electrically heated wire or amechanical cutting device can be applied to cut off the threads of thesewing machine after finishing the seams 12 and 14.

In conclusion, it might also be recommendable to provide clampingelements on the shaped forms to prevent lifting up the stockings whenraising the expanders and introducing the latter between shaped form andstocking, so that the upper welts are no longer on the same level. Tothis end hydraulically or pneumatically actuated pressing clamps for thebroad sides or edges of the shaped forms 38 could be recommended oncethe stockings are drawn over the shaped forms.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described in detail, various additions, substitutions,modifications and omissions may be made thereto without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

l claim:

1. A method of producing panty hose comprising the steps of: drawing twohip-length knitted stockings over template-like shaped forms, arrangedside-by-side in a congruent position, moving the zones of both stockingsfacing each other that are to be joined together towards each other,bringing said zones closely together, sewing said stockings togetherwhile said stockings are held on the shaped forms by running two seamsgenerally parallel to each other from the zone of the crotch to the topedge of the stockings, and cutting the knitting of the stockings throughbetween both seams while the stockings are on the shaped forms.

2. Apparatus for sewing panty hose, said apparatus comprising sewingmeans, at least two template-like shaped forms for supporting hip-lengthstockings to be drawn thereover, at least four straddling elementsarranged pairwise, means for moving said pairs of straddling elementstowards each other for pressing together the stockings on said shapedforms within the zones facing each other in which said stockings are tobe sewed together, at least two of said straddling elements beingprovided for each stocking and spaced apart from each other, means forpositioning said straddling elements for each stocking between eachshaped form and its stocking, said sewing means including arm meansmeans for introducing said arm means between the shaped forms and thestockings for sewing together the expanded stockings, and cutting meansfor slitting the knitting of the stockings between the two scams.

3. Apparatus as set forth in the claim 2 wherein the sewing means andstraddling elements are longitu dinally movable in relation to theshaped forms.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cutting means has anelectrically heated member longitudinally shiftable along the shapedforms.

5. Apparatus as set forth in the claim 2 wherein the cutting means isdisposed on the sewing machine.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the cutting means isdisposed behind the sewing means of said sewing machine.

1. A method of producing panty hose comprising the steps of: drawing twohip-length knitted stockings over template-like shaped forms, arrangedside-by-side in a congruent position, moving the zones of both stockingsfacing each other that are to be joined together towards each other,bringing said zones closely together, sewing said stockings togetherwhile said stockings are held on the shaped forms by running two seamsgenerally parallel to each other from the zone of the crotch to the topedge of the stockings, and cutting the knitting of the stockings throughbetween both seams while the stockings are on the shaped forms. 2.Apparatus for sewing panty hose, said apparatus comprising sewing means,at least two template-like shaped forms for supporting hip-lengthstockings to be drawn thereover, at least four straddling elementsarranged pairwise, means for moving said pairs of straddling elementstowards each other for pressing together the stockings on said shapedforms within the zones facing each other in which said stockings are tobe sewed together, at least two of said straddling elements beingprovided for each stocking and spaced apart from each other, means forpositioning said straddling elements for each stocking between eachshaped form and its stocking, said sewing means including arm means,means for introducing said arm means between the shaped forms and thestockings for sewing together the expanded stockings, and cutting meansfor slitting the knitting of the stockings between the two seams. 3.Apparatus as set forth in the claim 2 wherein the sewing means andstraddling elements are longitudinally movable in relation to the shapedforms.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cutting meanshas an electrically heated member longitudinally shiftable along theshaped forms.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in the claim 2 wherein thecutting means is disposed on the sewing machine.
 6. Apparatus as setforth in claim 5 wherein the cutting means is disposed behind the sewingmeans of said sewing machine.